


Sandstorm

by Progman



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: ARE YOU INSANE?!, Ba Sing Se Is Conquered A Lot, Berlin Wall Analogue, Blackhawk Down!, C'mon! TEAR DOWN THAT WALL!, Crusade - Freeform, Desert, Gen, Harmony - Freeform, History Lessons, IT'S BASICALLY ON FIRE, KUVIRA YOUR CANON PLANS MAKE NO SENSE, Liberation, Order, Peacekeepers, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, STRAIGHT TO BA SING SE?!, Sacrifice, Service, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, The Fourth Siege of Ba Sing Se, The Great Uniter, Trust Issues, UNDER RECONSTRUCTION, Unification, War, balance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-15
Updated: 2014-10-15
Packaged: 2018-02-21 08:13:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2461136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Progman/pseuds/Progman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fourteen months after her departure from Zaofu, Kuvira and her forces prepare to breach the outer wall of Ba Sing Se from the edge of the Si Wong Desert. Her plan of attack is sound, and her army more than qualified to crush any and all resistance. In hindsight, Kuvira should have realized that the Dai Li would be ready for her.  They always were.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sandstorm

**Author's Note:**

> It occurred to me the other night that, not only did Kuvira already conquer Ba Sing Se, but that Book 4 most likely won't have time to cover exactly how she did that. That's WAY too cool of a story not to tell. This was originally going to be a one shot, but it turned out to be structured as a two-parter. Maybe three, we'll see.
> 
> We don't know much about Kuvira yet, but I've drawn some logical conclusions on her character, and that she wasn't always as...severe in her goals as she is in Book 4. This fic is a little bit about why she went so far down that road.
> 
> This fic takes place around fourteen months after Book 3, since I thought it would be more interesting if Kuvira took Ba Sing Se before Varrick's train lines were even completed, and her military wasn't fully realized quite yet.
> 
> Viacom owns all, etc.
> 
> UPDATE: Lore issues, "The Coronation" retrofits for consistency, and apparently she has freaking tanks. Actual damn tanks. Also corrected her troop numbers to something more realistic according the Episode 5's preview.

Kuvira was focused on one singular powerful thought.

_Today is the day._

Kuvira stood before her army at the edge of the Si Wong Desert. Nearly two thousand and women strong, and growing by the day. VarriMechs, metalbending infantry, regular infantry, tanks and landed airships were all in formation. They were overwhelming, powerful, and above all disciplined.

Her forces had made camp a few miles away from the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. It had taken her nearly a year, but she'd finally forged a path to the great walled city. She'd trampled out drove after drove of raiders, bandits, and barbarians. Some had joined her army and had proven themselves to be productive members of society, while the rest served...other purposes.

Liberating Ba Sing Se from it's own internal chaos was more a symbolic victory than a strategic one, but if she could break through the walls and stomp out the belligerents, she would have unequivocal evidence that her cause was just.

President Raiko, Chief Tonraq, Chief Eska, Chief Desna, and the Fire Lord would all officially sanction her actions. Her nomadic army would become a true, legal peace keeping force. It was a technicality, she knew, but she also knew that world leaders loved their technicalities and protocol.

It was no longer a matter of 'if' she would breach the wall, but a matter of 'when' and 'how'.

On her left was Bolin, Varrick, and Zhu Li. Bolin had been instrumental in crushing the bandits, as his proficiency in lavabending had made traversing roads almost impossible, unless he willed it to be. She knew she'd never be able to convince him to use his gift for anything other than sabotage and indirect warfare. He was too kindhearted.

Of course, Varrick was there due to his tireless efforts in weapons development. The VarriMech, the indisputably superior incarnation of the Future Industries Mecha-Tank that had once terrorized Republic City, had been integral to her success. Obviously, wherever Varrick went, Zhu Li did too. It was in his contract. He'd made sure of that.

On her right was Baatar and the rest of her generals. They'd shown strategic brilliance not seen since the outbreak of the Hundred Years war. The irony was not lost on her, and she'd not made her knowledge of the comparison public. Fighting guerrillas and bandits was much like fighting nomads. They would hit you with precision strikes, and then retreat. It wasn't the most politically correct of topics, even after nearly century of healing.

Kuvira turned on her radio and a series of speakers clicked on across their camp. She took a deep breath and straightened her posture. It was her moment. One of what was sure to be many.

"I am not normally one for speeches," she said, her stern voice booming throughout the camp. "Today I must make an exception. When I look at you all, my brothers and sisters in arms, I can't help but be filled with pride." She paused, feeling very much out of her element. "We have fought a long campaign, and it is far from over, but today will be our greatest victory yet." Kuvira was used to commanding a room through body language and authoritative, powerful eloquence. Public speaking was not something she had much experience with. Still, she couldn't falter.

Bolin leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Don't panic. Just tell them how great they are and how everything they've done is amazing. It's always worked for me, and I was a mover star." He clapped her on the back.

Kuvira cleared her throat. He was certainly an expert in the field. It was worth a try. "I couldn't be more proud to have fought beside each and everyone of you. As we marched through our home, a land that was once proud and powerful, we have brought unity where destruction and chaos ran rampant. You have rallied behind my banner with unquestioning loyalty, even when our goal, restoring a sense of order and stability to this once great kingdom, seemed impossible." She gestured behind her, where the outer wall of Ba Sing Se was just visible on the horizon. "Because of all of you, it no longer is. Ba Sing Se is but a stone's throw away!"

The crowd chuckled, and Kuvira did as well. "Pun...unintended, but levity is important. It has given us strength in our long marches through the Si Wong. During perilous raids on our camps by warlords, sandbenders, and bandits. During sandstorms, ration shortages, and the unbearable heat. Yet through it all, none of you ever gave up hope. Not a single one of you laid down your arms and stopped fighting. That is a level of valor that you are born with, for it cannot be trained. Today is a day like no other. We will declare in one voice that this land is  _ours_! Our birthright! Today is the day that we bring security to what was once the world's greatest city, and through our leadership, will be again!" she roared, letting her passion guide her words. Bolin was spot on.

"I think it is important to note that this will be the fourth breach of the outer wall in less than a century. The first, Crown Prince General Iroh during the Hundred Years War. The second, his niece Fire Princess Azula, who conquered the entire city in a bloodless coup by way of the Dai Li. The third, ironically, was once again General Iroh during the passing of...the Great Comet, at the end of the Hundred Years War." No one needed to be reminded of Sozin. It was called the Great Comet before the Air Nomad genocide, and it would be again. "I am reminding you all of these victories for one reason, and one reason alone. This will be the first time since the era of Avatar Kyoshi that Ba Sing Se, the jewel of the Earth Kingdom, will be liberated  _by_ the Earth Kingdom,  _for_ the Earth Kingdom!"

With that, her forces erupted in cheers and celebration. The sheer enthusiasm flowed over her like a wave, lifting her spirits even higher. Today was the day. She was  _actually going to do it._ Before she could say anymore, Varrick bumped her out of the way and seized the radio.

"No offense, Kuvira, but that was  _really_ dragging on. Good speeches are short, sweet, to the point and positively brutal. Like you! Except for the short part. And sweet. Honestly, you're about as abrasive as my calloused feet." He blinked and looked very closely at the microphone that was still very much on. "Oh, hey everybody! You're all fantastic and we're going to go do some good old fashioned Earth Kingdom construction work! Let's go show those morons who the  _real_ rulers are around here!" He pointed to the wall, grinning fiercely. " _TIME TO TEAR DOWN THAT WALL!"_

Her army cheered even louder. She had half a mind to slap a metal ring on Varrick's mouth for his insubordination, but she couldn't deny his charisma. If it improved morale, she supposed she could let it slide. She turned off the radio and snatched the microphone out of his hand. "Do  _not_ do that again."

"I wouldn't have to if you made better speeches. Try writing it down next time, or practicing in the mirror."

"Duly noted." Kuvira narrowed his eyes at him. "Ready the VarriMechs. I want them leading from the front and soaking up any resistance the wall may have. If they wear the colors of the Earth Kingdom, give them a chance to surrender. Otherwise, don't hesitate." She turned to Bolin. "Bolin, you're staying by me. I have a very important job for you."

Varrick shrugged her off and walked toward the battalion of VarriMechs with Zhu Li in tow. "Let's get a move on people! I hear there's a fantastic tea shop in the upper ring and we're going to get there before it closes!" He whooped. "To the  _Jasmine Dragon_!"

"Aw, Varrick. He really knows how to...make things interesting! Heh." Bolin scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile. "Just so you know, I liked your speech more than his. I think it was  _way_ more inspiring. Because you're more inspiring, and he  _kiiiiinda_ tried to kidnap the President. Also he's sorta sleazy, and yet I still like him for some reason..."

Kuvira smiled softly and placed her hand on Bolin's shoulder. "I appreciate the sentiment, Bolin. Now, come on, we've got a job to do. Baatar, Yao, Shu, you know your roles. I trust your judgment. Let's get this done."

They saluted and marched off to their respective battalions, disappearing into the masses of her army.

"I'm guessing you need me to lavabend something," asked Bolin, sounding a little disheartened.

Kuvira walked confidently toward her fleet of jeeps, motioning Bolin to follow. "Good guess, though it sounds like you'd rather not." She hopped in her personal jeep and turned on the ignition.

Bolin slid in beside her and shrugged. "It's not really that I don't  _want_ to, but it's just...sometimes I feel like that's all I'm good for. I joined you to help people. If I have to cover some roads in lava, that's okay, but I want to be out there with the rest of them, too."

Kuvira drove off to the flank of her large formation, inspecting it casually as she passed by each division. The all-terrain wheels kicked up sand in their wake. "Bolin, you're not just a lavabender." She gave him a sidelong glance. She knew she'd have to have this conversation eventually, but she was surprised that it had taken so long for him to address it. He'd been with her from the very beginning, after all. "You're an idealist. An optimist, and a  _good person._ I've met very few people who can say the same about themselves. Your natural charisma is disarming, and it improves morale. Most of all, though, you're by my side because I  _trust_  you."

Bolin slowly raised his brows into his hair. "I'm enjoying the praise, but don't you trust all of your, uh, higher ups? Not that I am one, since..." He slapped the 'private' chevron on his forearm. "Not a general."

Kuvira frowned and let her stern mask splinter slightly. "The sad truth is that I don't, Bolin, the exception being Baatar, of course. I trust their judgment on the battlefield, but I don't trust them as people." She sighed. They were, essentially, alone. She didn't have many friends left, as she'd burned many bridges when she left home. She could open up to Bolin, she knew she could depend on his discretion, and she knew that he truly believed in her,  _their,_ cause. Possibly even more than herself. "I grew up in Zaofu. I was born there. For the longest time, it was a community without secrets. We stood by one another, supported one another, because we knew that we were simply part of a larger family." She chuckled sadly. "Before all of this, I don't know if you remember, but I wasn't just Captain of the Guard. I was a  _dancer. An artist._ That was the beauty of Zaofu. It was possible to walk down different paths at the same time. You could make your  _own_ way, while at the same time, help those around you. I wanted to protect that, because it had brought me and everyone else so much happiness. It's why I joined the guard. I wasn't going to let roaming bandits destroy something so inspiring," she said wistfully. "But then..."

Bolin frowned. "I think I see where this is going."

"Yes. Aiwei happened. One of Zaofu's most honored, respected, and  _trustworthy_ citizens was nothing more than a murderous, pitiful anarchist. The city without secrets held one of the largest in the world. The  _Red Lotus,"_ she said, her words dripping with venom. "After he escaped, and we realized that our  _truthseer_ was a liar and a traitor...all of that trust and support slowly began to crumble. There were times when  _I didn't even trust my own family_  because I was so used to doing so unconditionally. Trust having to be earned is...it's new. It's unwelcome, though I know it's necessary. It's just how the world works."

Bolin was silent for a moment. "I can't really imagine how that must have felt. I've  _always_ trusted my brother. Even when we fight or scream at one another, I still trust him, I know he trusts me, and that nothing could possibly change that." He crossed his arms. "He says I trust too easily, and he's...sort of right. I've realized that. Him, on the other hand, he barely trusts himself, let alone other people."

Kuvira nodded. "We're similar in that way, then. It would certainly explain why it's so easy to trust you."

Bolin smiled. "I like to think it's because I have..." He scratched his head. "How did Opal put it? 'A warm, enthusiastic and honest demeanor'.

Kuvira chuckled. "I couldn't have said it better myself. You've been a great help in this effort, more than you know. Keeping someone down to earth, so they don't lose perspective, is integral to maintaining order in one's mind, body, and life." She flattened her lips and stared out the window, unamused. "Once again, pun unintended."

"Wow. You must be nervous because you  _never_ make puns."

Kuvira shrugged. "You're not wrong. I am. I know this won't be bloodless, like Azula. There will be...unfortunate casualties." She frowned. "We're going to have to eliminate the Dai Li, if they're still even in the city at all."

Bolin was silent for a moment. "I've never actually heard a single good thing about the Dai Li, Kuvira. I've seen what they do. It's horrible. I'm...I don't want to hurt anyone, at least to a point where they can't recover, but if we  _have_ to, no other options, back against the wall, I could help with that. With them."

Kuvira raised her brows and felt her stomach drop. Bolin hurting others to that degree was unheard of. War had hardened him far more than she'd realized, and she regretted being the cataylst for it. He'd joined with noble intentions, and in a way, she'd corrupted him. "I don't want you doing that. I don't want you  _ever_ doing that. That's not who you are. I have thousands of soldiers for that very purpose. That's not your role. Understood?"

Bolin nodded a few times. "Yes! I mean, yes ma'am!" He saluted. "So what's my job then?"

Kuvira smiled. "You are being given the honor of tearing down the wall."

Bolin gaped at her, and she couldn't help but snicker. "Are you  _serious_?! I don't even know if I can do that! I mean, I know Ghazan took down the inner wall with lavabending, but the outer wall is _huge."_

"You've gotten us this far. I believe that if you set your mind to it, and truly visualize that wall coming down, it will happen."

Bolin stared out the front window. "You really think so, don't you?"

"I do. I trust you."

"Huh." Bolin looked down at his feet. "You know, before I found out I could lavabend, I wasn't a very good bender."

"I thought you said you used to be a pro-bender, and one of the best."

"I was, but that's just it. I was great at  _pro-bending,_ and those styles are only good when you're in a pro-bending arena. In the real world, in a  _real_ battle, I was weak. I got knocked down a lot. I lost most of the time. My brother Mako, Korra, and Asami were always there to back me up, but they're all great at what they do. It never really bothered me because I just wanted to help, but now..." He stared at his hands. "Now that I can actually keep up with them, it's like Mako and lightning. I can't just  _use_ it whenever I want. It's too dangerous. It only destroys."

Kuvira frowned and slowed the jeep down, falling into formation with the rest of her advancing forces. The wall was getting larger and larger. "Destruction isn't always bad. If something is wrong, and you destroy it, wouldn't that be doing something good?"

"Yeah," he slouched in his seat. "That's why I even use it at all."

Kuvira saw the glint of explosions atop the wall. Her VarriMechs must have already begun the assault. Watchtowers crumbled as what few defenders were left were thrown off of the wall. "And that is why you will be using it today. The resistance is occupied with the far more obvious attack on their walls at the moment. I think now would be a good opportunity."

Bolin set his jaw and nodded. "Okay. Let's do this. Let's save Ba Sing Se!"

Kuvira gave a ghost of smile and jammed her foot on the accelerator, sending their jeep ahead of her army.

"Oh! I've got an idea! Kuvira, can you drive along the edge of the wall?"

She nodded, raising a brow. "I can. Why?"

"If you can keep us steady, I think I might be able to lavabend the  _foundation_ of it," he said, standing up in the jeep and using the open metal frame to steady himself. "Just bring me up along side and keep driving!"

Kuvira chuckled. "This is completely insane, but I can't see them expecting it." She sent the jeep into a sharp turn, drifting on the sand and pulling against the edge of the wall. "We're only trying this once! Ready?"

Bolin got into a partial lavabending stance, and reached out his arm toward the wall. "Yup! Let's do this!" He gasped. "No, no, no wait! Get Varrick on the radio!"

" _What?!_ Why?"

"No time to explain! Trust me!"

Kuvira grumbled and did as she was asked. Of course he'd use her own words against her. "Varrick, Bolin needs to talk to you."

" _Bolin! How's my favorite mover star-"_

"VARRICK PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE FILMING THIS!"

" _I wasn't two seconds ago, but I SURE AM NOW! Go for it kid! Tear down the wall!"_

"Perfect!" Bolin smiled gleefully. "Okay! Now I'm ready! Let's go!"

Kuvira edged the jeep, and by extension Bolin, as close to the wall as she could get without crashing. She took a quick behind her to see a long line of phase shifting earth follow the path of his hand. The wall was melting. He  _had done it_ and was whooping the entire time _._ Once he'd lavabent a good portion of the wall, she turned away from it and clicked on her radio. "Baatar, the foundation of the wall is compromised. Have the metalbenders advance and tear it down."

" _At once, Kuvira."_

Bolin hopped back into his seat with a big grin on his face. His hair was blasted back from the wind shear. "Wooh! Oh, man, that was fun! And also  _super_ tiring because honestly I'm feeling really lightheaded and need to lie down."

"The glove compartment has water and blubbered seal jerky."

Bolin immediately them both like a starved polar bear dog. "Thanks!" he said, with a mouthful of food. He swallowed and smiled awkwardly. He blinked and looked at himself in the side mirror, quickly fixing his hair to his more disciplined style. "I'm already coming up with names for that one. What do you think of  _Nuktuk: Wall Warrior_?"

Kuvira raised a brow. "I'm no expert on movers, but why not just give the character a traditional Earth Kingdom name? You did just lavabend, after all. Nuktuk can't do that anymore than you can waterbend."

" _I_ like  _it!"_ Varrick said through the radio, his enthusiasm impossible to ignore. Bolin must have changed the frequency when she wasn't looking. " _But Kuvira's got a point, kid. Total stranger to the business and already smarter than those morons I hired to write those old movers! We'll have to ditch the old Nuktuk stuff and come up with something new. Something bigger, more expensive and even more explosive! Zhu Li! Bring me a list of Earth Kingdom names!"_

"Can't you just name him Bolin? Nuktuk was fiction. This was reality."

" _Eh, sounds too...boring, if you get my meaning. It doesn't pop like Nuktuk! People want names that roll off the tongue! Ones they'll remember! Let's see...uh, how about San?"_

Bolin frowns. "That was my dad's name."

" _Oh. Sorry. Okay, not that one...hmm..."_

"What's so wrong with Bolin, anyway? It's simple and easy to remember."

" _Is it? Huh. Bolin._ Bo- _lin. Bo-_ lin.  _Haha! It's perfect! The second we're done with all this Earth Kingdom business, I'm getting the old crew back together and we're gonna-"_

Kuvira clicked off the radio and grew a very bemused expression. "You don't really want to go back into movers, do you?"

"Nah, not really. I just wanted to have that stunt on film to show my friends. There's no way they'd believe me otherwise."

Kuvira smirked. "I can respect that." She brought the jeep to a stop behind her legions of metalbenders, pulling up beside Baatar and Shu and their forward camp. It was furnished sparsely, with only the bare essentials. Radio switchboards, battlefield intelligence, and a large tactical map of Ba Sing Se were the most important parts in her eyes. Everything else was secondary.

She stood in her seat and tuned the radio back to her normal channel. She grabbed the microphone and clicked it on. "General Yao, report." She looked up at her fleet of airships, all armored with the strongest steel they could find, and covered in a thin layer of pure platinum to discourage metalbending. It was a precaution, should someone turn traitor. They were hulking behemoths, capable of rapid deployment and high explosive devastation at her beck and call.

" _The airships are in formation, ma'am. As far as I can tell from above, the edge of the agrarian zone is still pretty populated. Looks like refugees from the city proper. We've got a lot of people on rooftops, and they look like non-combatants to me. Heh. Some of the kids are waving. That's about all recon is going to manage until we move further in. You should see these kids, though. They're adorable."_

"Understood." Kuvira rolled her eyes. "What's the status of the guards on the wall?"

" _They...they're not going down without a fight, that's for sure. Ma'am, it's odd. They're doesn't appear to be an organized resistance. No anti-air battlements, no earth disk catapults. No tanks. No airships. Just a bunch of earthbenders flinging rocks. Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"_

"Granted."

_"The fact that I can't see the Dai Li is worrying me more than if I could see 'em down there."_

Kuvira narrowed her eyes and placed on hand behind her back. "Something tells me that they're among those on the rooftops, General."

_"Most likely. Makes bombing them not much of an option. Too many civilian casualties."_

"Advance over the wall and use the gas bombs. If we can use them for riot control, we can use them for war. Once you find an opening, have the metalbenders make the jump. The buildings should still be stable enough to support the strength of the cables."

Baatar raised a brow. " _Should_?"

"They were built by the Earth Kingdom centuries ago. If they're still standing now, they will tomorrow."

" _Understood, ma'am._ "

Her fleet of airships began moving forward over the wall, which was rapidly losing its structural integrity. Off in the distance, she saw green bursts of smoke seep upward from behind the wall. Kuvira slowly got out the car as she saw the wall beginning to shudder. She held her gaze, refusing to blink. She wouldn't miss a single moment. The great outer wall of Ba Sing Se splintered and slowly began to crumble from the bottom up. The hardened and now weakened earth, built centuries ago, was being ripped apart by her legions. Her soldiers worked in tandem, grounding themselves as they pulled down the wall with more and more power. VerriMechs drilled into the melted foundation, shredding the rock into dirt. Her tanks blasted apart slab after slab of the wall, their superior firepower puncturing the ancient structure. Finally, it had reached its tipping point. The wall wavered, shuddered, and collapsed in on itself in a massive cloud of dust and debris.

The wall had fallen and she could  _feel_ the sense of triumph radiating through her army.

Kuvira's lips twitched, granting her the slightest of smiles. She gave Bolin, who was still sitting in the jeep, a sidelong glance. "Excellent work. You've just made history."

Bolin shrugged and picked at his teeth. "It's what I do."

Baatar listened to his headset for a moment. "We have boots on the ground. General Yao's metalbenders have made a successful jump."

Colonel Shu marked a few spots on their tactical map, just inside of the wall. "Our first squad of VarriMechs have also advanced forward. Reporting...no resistance. Streets are clear."

Kuvira folded her arms behind her back. "Good. We continue as planned." She squinted as she saw a thin, light brown line flicker in and out of existence around Yao's airship. She looked over at Baatar. "Did you see that?"

Baatar nodded slowly. "I did." He tuned his radio and tapped his headset. "General Yao, we saw some sort of disturbance or presence in your airspace. Can you confirm on your end?"

" _We saw it too. Not sure what it...wait, hold on. Oh no."_

Kuvira quickly moved back to her radio and yanked it out of the jeep. "What? What's wrong?"

" _Ma'am, these buildings aren't made of rock. They're made of sand._ "

Colonel Shu raised a brow. "Why would they be made of-"

"Uh, guys? I think something's wrong," said Bolin.

Kuvira's first airship, a dreadnought in it's own right, was brutally torn to pieces by a dozen arcs of sand that shot out from the ground. It sliced through the engines and most of the hull, leaving black smoke in it's wake as the internal components slowly exploded. It began slowing down and teetering toward the ground.

"What just happened?!" barked Kuvira. "General Yao, respond!"

" _It's the Dai Li! I repeat, the Dai Li are on the front lines! I, they really tore the ship up bad, ma'am. There's no way I can keep her in the air. At...at least five city blocks are sand facades! When did they become sandbenders?! I don't think-"_

He was silenced by another barrage of sand arcs cracking through the airship, this time severing it in half and sending it crashing to the ground in flames It crashed into the ground with enough force to kick up sand all back to her position.

Baatar was cycling through radio frequencies, getting panicked reports from the front line. "Kuvira, it's not just the airships." He'd gone through them quickly, but Kuvira had caught enough terrified screams to know something had gone horribly wrong. "Every squad who has entered the city is being torn to pieces. They're..." His eye glazed over. "...flaying them with sand."

Colonel Shu shouted expletives the table as he scurried from radio switchboard to switchboard. "Every VarriMech and tank we've sent through the wall are reporting complete mechanical failures!"

She snatched a radio off of the command table. " _ALL DIVISIONS, FALL BACK! I REPEAT, FALL BACK! THIS IS A FULL TACTICAL RETREAT! DO NOT ADVANCE PAST THE WALL!"_ she yelled into the microphone, her heart beating in a panic. "Would someone like to explain to me how any of this is even possible?! Sandbending is a brutish, relatively  _useless_ form, so how exactly is it  _tearing my army to pieces?!_ "'

Baatar stuttered. "I-I have no idea how they're doing it."

Bolin's eyes could not be more outside of his head. "Uh, this is bad.  _Really_ bad."

"I refuse to believe that was  _only_ sandbending." Kuvira furrowed her brow at the fallen wall, her jaw setting powerfully. The entirety of her army was making a tactical retreat. She saw two more airships get systematically torn apart by the wrath of the sand, causing even more high explosives to send shockwaves toward their position. "My VarriMechs are made of pure platinum. They cannot be bent. They are equipped with the most advanced military weaponry in existence, and you're telling me that  _sandbenders_ beyond that wall were able to decimate my troops, destroy my airships,  _and_  disable my VarriMechs, as well as my tanks? No single weapon or bending art, with the exception of lightening and combustion, could possibly accomplish that feat." She glared daggers at the wall. "We would have  _heard_ the explosions of a combustion bender, and  _seen the_ lightning if that were the case. It cannot just be sand. I need another explanation. Now."

Bolin shook his head, frowning. "Well, if we assume they're earthbenders, which we should since, well, it's Ba Sing Se. Who else would defend it? Also since they're the Dai Li, so...yeah. Earthbenders." He got out of the jeep and stood beside her. "It's not lavabending, though that should be obvious. It  _can't_ be metalbending, and no form of basic earth could cause that much damage in such a short amount of time." He shrugged. "If you're positive it's  _not_ sandbending, maybe they've got a powerful spirit in there."

Baatar and Shu eyed Bolin, unamused.

"Really? A spirit? That's your best idea?" said Shu.

"What? It could happen! I'm just saying we can't rule out a possibility because it sounds crazy. The last time I did that, there was a giant monster fight in Yue Bay. I thought it was  _impossible_ that Unalaq wanted to take over the world and had some kind of doomsday device in order to do it. Well, turns out,  _he actually did_!" He wiped off the sand from his uniform and hair. "I'm gonna be super happy to get out of this desert. Sand is just  _not_ fun to walk around in, and it gets everywhere!" He sighed. "The engineers for the airships and VarriMechs have had to work twice as hard since we started moving through the Si Wong. I feel bad for 'em."

Kuvira slowly turned to Bolin, the pieces falling into place. "Yes, that is unfortunate..." She inspected her own uniform to find little pockets of sand stuck against her. "They're not using sandbending as a hammer. They're using it as a  _blade._ By forcing sand into every little nook and cranny of our armor, airships and VerriMechs, they can tear the target apart from the inside.

Baatar furrowed his brow and rubbed his chin. "That would explain the VerriMechs. All of the damage to them was internal. As for the airships, that would explain how they broke through the armor plating. They didn't. They simply used the pressure of the sand to push it out of the way."

Bolin cleared his throat. "We, uh, don't need an explanation as to how the soldiers died. I think we can all put that one together, right?"

Kuvira sighed. "Very well. We'll have to change tactics. I can counter this. Sandbending, even at this level of mastery, still requires control of the air currents. And, considering that since they haven't charged out of the remains of the wall, I don't believe they have enough sandbenders to attack us directly." They'd gotten the better of her. She'd walked straight into their trap like an arrogant fool. They'd funneled her into the perfect ambush. It would  _not_ happen again. She clicked on her microphone. "Varrick! We need to retrofit all of our trucks to carry the largest fans and turbines at our disposal! Right now!"

" _What? Why would you want to do that? Just call some airbenders over if you need some wind power! They're the best at that."_

"Varrick, I have no patience for your ridiculous eccentricities right now! You will take your team and retrofit the trucks as I have  _ordered you to! Are we clear?!_ " she snapped.

" _Yeah, alright, fine! Jeez, can I at least ask why I'm even doing that?"_

"They're using sandbending."

" _Oh! That's brilliant! Zhu Li, take a note. VarriMechs are to be sealed airtight from now on!"_

" _Sir, the pilot's would suffocate."_

" _Internal air supply, Zhu Li. Come on, do you really think I'd just let them die in there?"_

" _The limited air supply would only last a few hours-"_

"Varrick! No modifications! Trucks! Fans! Turbines! Now!"

" _Remember who you're talking to here, Kuvira. I'm already on it!"_

Kuvira rubbed her forehead and felt a stress headache coming on. "Do you have an estimate of how long that will take?"

" _I'm guessing an hour at the most. We're just bolting some big fans to the back of a truck and slapping a big battery on it. What you're asking for is actually pretty simple. To be honest, I'm disappointed."_

Kuvira held her tongue. Lashing out at him would accomplish nothing. "Update me on your progress."

" _You got it!"_

Kuvira shut off the radio and ran her gloved fingers through her knotted black hair. How could she have been so foolish? The road to Ba Sing Se had been anything but easy, so why had she expected that liberating the city itself would be  _easier_? She'd lost...too many in a matter of minutes because of her arrogance. She made a vow to not let their deaths be in vain.

Before the day was over, the Dai Li would be wiped out.

By her, and her alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Sandbending. It's a very underused bending art in Avatar, but I realized that it's also, under the right circumstances, incredibly deadly. It's the only thing I could think of, besides lightning and combustion as Kuvira points out, that could do enough damage to her army to actually pose a believable threat.
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated :)


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